What we learned: Friday 22 December
We are going to wrap up the live blog here for the evening. Here’s what made the news today:
Queensland police called off the search for a missing 85-year-old man after the floods in far north Queensland. The man was last seen last Sunday.
St Vincents – the nation’s largest not-for-profit health and aged care provider – confirmed on Friday it had fallen victim to a cyber-attack.
Australian batter Usman Khawaja said the charge against him by the ICC over wearing a black armband “makes no sense” because the black armband was worn “for a personal bereavement”.
The prime minister, Anthony Albanese, flagged further support for people in flood-ravaged far north Queensland.
WA firefighters continued to face tough conditions after fires ripped through the Perth suburb of Parkerville.
A windfarm will be developed in south-west New South Wales – the first windfarm approved in the state in two-and-a-half years.
The ABC’s Melbourne office was vandalised with red paint splattered on windows and messages about the Israel–Palestine conflict scrawled across the building.
Twelve-year-old boy bitten by dingo on K’gari
AAP reports the dog started circling the boy before the attack, which was first reported on Friday but occurred on Monday.
“The boy tried to move the dingo on by yelling and moving his arms but as he stepped back the dingo lunged and bit him on the left knee,” a Queensland Parks and Wildlife Service statement said.
The boy’s parents were about 10m away from him at the time, the service reported.
Rangers are investigating and attempting to identify the dingo.
It’s the third incident in two weeks involving children and dingoes on the popular holiday island.
On 10 December a girl was bitten on the thigh after running from a dingo near Wathumba beach.
The five-year-old had moved away from her group when a dingo ran and nipped her.
On 11 December a boy was chased into the water by a dingo after he ran from the animal.
The service said children should be kept under constant supervision and within arm’s reach on K’gari.
Updated
After the failed voice referendum, the Indigenous Australians department says it is still giving advice to the federal government on treaty and truth processes but the future of the Makarrata commission remains in limbo.
The 2022 budget provided $5.8m to start work on setting up the Makarrata commission, which was to oversee processes for making agreements and truth-telling. During the election, the government pledged more than $27m to establish the body.
Read more:
Myki fares going up
Victorian public transport commuters will be slugged with a second myki fare hike in six months, another cost-of-living blow.
AAP reports from January the maximum daily full fare on weekdays will rise by 60 cents for adults to $10.60, representing a 6% increase.
It means someone commuting on public transport five days a week will spend an extra $156 a year.
The full fare for concession card-holders will increase from $5 to $5.30.
Weekend daily and public holiday rates will remain unchanged at $7.20 for full fare travellers and $3.60 for concessions.
There will be no increase in fares for shorter zone-two trips in outer Melbourne, while regional fares below the daily cap will rise by 20 cents.
Public transport minister Gabrielle Williams said the fare hikes were “modest” and in line with consumer price index changes.
“[It will] ensure we are covering the costs of delivering the services that Victorians tell us that they need and that we know that they deserve,” she told reporters on Friday.
“It’s a really important part of us being able to continue to invest.”
Updated
It’s the longest day of the year in the southern hemisphere.
It's the #summersolstice - the longest day of the year in the southern hemisphere! ☀️
— Bureau of Meteorology, Australia (@BOM_au) December 22, 2023
The weather lags behind the sun, so today might have the most daylight hours, but the hottest time of the year for most of #Aus is usually late Jan or early Feb. 🌡️
More: https://t.co/xJSmCGHG9O pic.twitter.com/EXvL8NMS7y
Minns government recommends approval of coalmine expansion
The New South Wales government has recommended a proposed expansion of a coalmine in the state’s north-west be approved.
Idemitsu has proposed expanding its Boggabri coalmine to extract an additional 28.1m tonnes of coal. The project would extend the mine’s life by three years until 2036 and increase the amount of coal extracted by about 19%.
In an assessment, published Friday, the NSW planning and environment department recommended approval of the project because the “benefits of the modification outweigh its residual costs”.
If given the green light by the planning minister, Paul Scully, it would be the first approval of a coalmine expansion under the Minns government.
The expansion would be responsible for an estimated additional 63m tonnes of greenhouse gas emissions, with 61.8m tonnes of those projected emissions occurring after the coal is sold and burnt.
Nic Clyde, the NSW coordinator of the Lock the Gate Alliance, said “it’s little surprise this terrible recommendation was quietly made public on a Friday afternoon before Christmas.”
We’re calling on the Minns government to protect its citizens, and stop the latest coal rush immediately, putting in place a pause until proper climate considerations are embedded into mining decisions.
Updated
Search for man missing in flood-affected far north Queensland scaled down
Queensland police say the search for a missing 85-year-old man in flood-affected Degarra, in Far North Queensland is being scaled down.
He was last heard from on 17 December. The man’s home was located destroyed by floodwaters, and his tinny was located among debris near the mouth of the Bloomfield river.
The man has still not been located, but police will continue to conduct regular patrols of the area, and will act on any further information received.
Assistant commissioner Brett Schafferius said the outcome was heartbreaking for the man’s friends, family, and the tight-knit local community:
Despite tireless efforts by our crews, we have been unable to locate the man following this severe weather event.
As debris is cleared and river levels subside police will continue to monitor the area for any sign of him, and we hold hope that we can provide answers for his loved ones.
We want to thank the community for their assistance during the search and continue to urge anyone with information to immediately advise police.
Updated
Court backs compensation for Indonesian children held in Australia
The federal court has ruled that $27.5m in compensation for Indonesian children falsely imprisoned as adult people smugglers in Australia is “fair and reasonable”.
The Indonesian children, mainly from impoverished fishing villages, were intercepted and detained at the height of the former government’s attempts to deter asylum seeker boats between 2007 and 2013.
Government and police policy dictated that children found on such boats – many of whom had been tricked or coerced to crew the boats on false pretences – be sent home.
Read more below:
Updated
Transport infrastructure cost blowout in Queensland
The cost of major rail and road projects in the state has almost doubled to $23.28bn, AAP reports.
The increase of $11.2bn since June spans 32 projects in the state.
Just days after being sworn in, transport minister, Bart Mellish, has promised the cost of major projects will be revealed to Queenslanders twice a year.
“Basically what I know will be what you will know,” he said on Friday.
“We really want to make sure that we’re laying these costs on the table so that people know the true impact of these projects so that we can deliver them.”
Mellish’s transparency comes after criticism of his predecessor Mark Bailey.
The former transport minister came under fire last month for not revealing a $3.1bn cost blowout on a rail project.
Bailey confirmed the Logan and Gold Coast Faster Rail’s new cost estimate of $5.75bn only after it was published on a federal government website.
Updated
The foreign minister, Penny Wong, has extended her condolences to the Czech people over the mass shooting at Charles University in Prague.
I am shocked and saddened by the mass shooting at Charles University in Prague.
— Senator Penny Wong (@SenatorWong) December 22, 2023
I send my deepest condolences to the families of the victims, their loved ones and the Czech people.
Hoping for a speedy recovery for those injured.
Hello, Josh Taylor here to take over from Rafqa Touma for the blog for the remains of the day.
The Queensland Labor senator and minister for agriculture, Murray Watt, says it was “great to have” Anthony Albanese in Cairns today, speaking to flood victims and energy and emergency workers.
Great to have the Prime Minister Cairns today, to hear directly from flood victims and thank energy & emergency workers for their efforts.
— Senator Murray Watt (@MurrayWatt) December 22, 2023
There’s a long road ahead, but together with the Qld Government and the people of Far North Qld, we’ll help this region bounce back. pic.twitter.com/l4Bn1jh21c
Updated
ACIJ: ‘Australia should investigate citizens fighting in the IDF’
The Australian Centre for International Justice have sent a letter to the minister for home affairs, the attorney general and the Australian federal police commissioner, regarding Australian citizens who are “currently engaged in hostilities in Israel and the Occupied Palestinian Territory”.
The letter says “it appears that the Australian government has failed to provide any public statements advising of the risks involved, particularly the legal risks, including the risk of individual criminal liability, for those Australians participating in the conflict as members of the IDF”:
… Whilst we note that there is no prohibition on Australian citizens from fighting in the armed forces of the government of a foreign country, the reported guidance from the Department of Home Affairs does not warn individuals that their actions could constitute criminal offences under Australian law, which could result in the initiation of criminal proceedings against them, in circumstances where: there is mounting evidence the IDF is committing grave crimes in the OPT, and; Australia has obligations under international law to prosecute the commission of such crimes.
The letter lists “international law violations since 7 October 2023”, including “widescale indiscriminate bombing targeting civilians and civilian infrastructure, including health facilities, churches, and bakeries” and “total siege and collective punishment”.
The letter also flags:
A failure to investigate and prosecute Australian nationals for involvement in potential war crimes, crimes against humanity, genocide and torture as codified in Divisions 268 and 274 of the Commonwealth Criminal Code, would be in breach of Australia’s obligations under international law to investigate and prosecute these crimes”.
Updated
New fuel standards to reduce driver health risk: PM
Cleaner fuel standards being introduced mean Australians will be at less risk of developing health issues, the prime minister says.
The safer standards bring Australia into line with emissions reductions measures in other western countries, Anthony Albanese told reporters in Cairns.
Under the changes, the number of hydrocarbons will be reduced in 95-octane petrol, while 98-octane or regular 91 unleaded fuel will be unaffected.
All cars sold in Australia from December 2025 will need to comply with Euro 6d noxious emission standards, which limit what can be emitted from vehicles.
The changes would lead to fewer emissions being released and also lessen the health risk, he said.
There are issues with regards to our petrol standards that have been way below everywhere else in the western world.
When you have petrol standards that are lower, you have created health issues as a result of that.
We are below not just Europe but below the United States, and that means Australia has needed to respond.
Drivers can expect an increase of $8 per year for an average passenger vehicle running on 95 RON grade petrol but the cost is more than offset by the import of more fuel-efficient vehicles and health savings.
It’s estimated that transport emissions cause more than 11,000 Australians to prematurely die each year, according to a University of Melbourne study.
Figures have shown the fuel changes will save more than $6bn in health and fuel costs by 2040.
- Australian Associated Press
Updated
Three residential properties lost in Parkerville fire, Perth
The WA premier, Roger Cook, has confirmed three residential properties have been damaged or destroyed in the Parkerville fire in the Perth hills.
He told press:
Can I just acknowledge those West Australians who have lost homes, possessions, animals in this horrible fire. This is heartbreaking news, especially so close to Christmas. Watching those flames engulf those homes is absolutely heartbreaking and distressing. But on behalf of the people of Western Australia, I want you to know that our hearts are with you. Right around the state, we are thinking of you today, and your loss.
Early reports indicate that three residential properties and multiple sheds and outbuildings have been damaged or destroyed. Property loss notifications are currently under way and road assessment teams are being deployed.
The cause of the bushfire is accidental. Investigations have confirmed a tree has fallen on power lines which sparked the blaze. But for people in here – in Parkerville, this is obviously a very anxious time.
Updated
Governments accused of not doing enough as 17 species added to Australia’s threatened wildlife list
Seventeen species, including two birds, two fish, several reptiles and the Lord Howe earthworm, have been added to Australia’s list of threatened species.
The sooty shearwater, known for its long-distance journeys, has been listed as vulnerable, while the red-tailed tropicbird, which breeds on Christmas Island, has been listed as endangered.
The Lord Howe earthworm, Daintree rainbowfish, Moroka galaxias and seven reptiles, including the Jardine River turtle, Mitchell’s water monitor and northern blue-tongued skink, entered the list at critically endangered – the most urgent threat category.
A further four reptiles and one fish were listed in the endangered category and one bird, the Mallee whipbird, was moved up from vulnerable to endangered.
Australian Conservation Foundation nature campaigner Peta Bulling said the list was “a poignant reminder that governments and businesses are not doing enough to protect Australia’s reptiles”.
Read the full story:
Updated
Firefighter who died in house blaze made ‘ultimate sacrifice’
A firefighter who died battling a house fire has been remembered as a man with a “vibrant spirit” who made the ultimate professional sacrifice.
Michael Kidd, 51, died on 12 December after being struck by a falling wooden beam while fighting a blaze that engulfed the house at Grose Vale, in Sydney’s outer north-west.
He was dragged from the house and colleagues tried to revive him, but he was pronounced dead at the scene.
Kidd was laid to rest at St Monica’s Catholic church in Richmond on Friday, in a service attended by hundreds of mourners including NSW premier Chris Minns and emergency services minister Jihad Dib.
His casket, draped in the Australian flag, was brought to the church on the back of a vintage fire engine as part of a Fire and Rescue NSW motorcade, accompanied by the strains of the agency’s brass band.
Fire and Rescue NSW commissioner Jeremy Fewtrell paid tribute to the on-call Richmond Station 82 firefighter as a man who loved his job.
Michael loved being a firefighter, whether that was with Fire and Rescue or Rural Fire Service, and he was bloody good at it.
He juggled family, work and other commitments – despite all this he was still one of the most regular attendees at the fire station.
The lethal blaze was one of thousands Kidd attended over his many years of service since starting as a rural firefighter in 1989, Fewtrell said.
- Australian Associated Press
Updated
A yuletide call-out!
In order to send the year off with some festive cheer we want to highlight the unsung heroes of the holiday spirit – that is of course, our poor pets whom we have forced into wearing little antlers, menorah hats and elf costumes, then bribed with treats to hold still for extensive photoshoots.
We want to create a Christmas gallery of the best of the best – so if think your dog/cat/mouse/turtle/fish/local pigeon you befriended should make the cut, send your cutest pet holiday pet photos to the Guardian Australia Instagram page or email them to lisa.favazzo@theguardian.com
And make sure to include your furry friend’s name (and the name of any humans there too) and who we should credit for the photo.
Sometimes we complain that our cat Astro doesn’t pay rent. But actually he does contribute to the household, it’s just he doesn’t it in the form of dejectedly putting up with the annual Christmas costume shoot: pic.twitter.com/4pxWNsGvVS
— Matilda Boseley (@MatildaBoseley) December 22, 2023
Updated
Albanese says position put forward by Usman Khawaja ‘pretty uncontroversial’
Anthony Albanese says the position put forward by cricketer Usman Khawaja is “pretty uncontroversial”, after Khawaja was criticised for wearing shoes with the words “all lives are equal” and “freedom is a human right” written on the sides at a recent training session, and was charged by the International Cricket Council for wearing a black armband in the first Test against Pakistan in support of people in Gaza.
At a press conference in Cairns, Albanese said:
I think that Usman Khawaja is a great Australian cricketer and that the position that he put forward is one that I think is pretty uncontroversial – one that all lives are equal is a sentiment that I think is uncontroversial, and I think that he’s someone who plays a really important role for Australian cricket. Usman Khawaja made his position clear, which is he didn’t see it as a political statement.
Updated
Albanese praises flood-affected communities ‘helping each other out’
Anthony Albanese continues, praising community efforts on the ground in flood-stricken communities in tropical north Queensland:
We know there are challenges ahead, but I’m very confident that we can overcome them working together, each level of government, along with businesses, along with the local community here.
And the support that people have been given here is inspirational. All those people who’ve really gone that extra yard to support – we met one fellow in Holloways Beach who’s got three different families staying at his place, along with, I think, more animals and pets than there are people in the property – dogs and cockatoos and blue-tongue lizards and every other sort of pet that you can imagine is all there. People are just helping each other out.
As we approach Christmas Day, that’s really the spirit of Christmas – that spirit of giving and looking after each other that we’re seeing on the ground here in Cairns and in tropical north Queensland.
Updated
Support package for flooded north Queensland
The prime minister, Anthony Albanese, is addressing press from Cairns, announcing a support package for flooded north Queensland, on top of disaster recovery payments.
Here are the details:
We’ll provide $25 million for primary producers who’ve suffered as a result of the flood events. $25 million for a separate package for small business and not-for-profits to provide them with that support. $1 million for each of the nine local government areas, just as a top-up payment because of the additional costs that they’ll be dealing with. And an additional $5 million that came out of a request that was given to the premier when he met with tourism operators here just a couple of days ago to provide support for tourism promotion in this area.
“I have great confidence that the people and businesses of tropical north Queensland will not only survive – they’ll thrive into the future,” Albanese said.
Updated
St Vincent’s statement on cyber-attack
Here’s the full statement from St Vincent’s:
On Tuesday, 19 December 2023, St Vincent’s Health Australia began responding to a cyber security incident.
St Vincent’s immediately took steps to contain the incident, engaged external security experts, and notified all relevant state and federal governments and the necessary agencies.
Late on Thursday, 21 December, St Vincent’s found evidence that cyber criminals had removed some data from our network.
St Vincent’s is working to determine what data has been removed.
The investigation into this matter is ongoing.
Key activities include securing and containing the incident, understanding what the cyber criminals have done, and identifying what data may have been accessed and stolen.
To date, this incident has not affected the ability of St Vincent’s to deliver the services our patients, residents, and the broader community rely on across our hospital, aged care, and virtual and home health networks.
Our priority is the health and safety of our patients, residents, and our people, and the continuity of St Vincent’s services for the community.
We thank the Australian Government and our state government partners for their support since first notifying them of the incident.
Updated
Health provider St Vincent's hit by cyber-attack
St Vincent’s – the nation’s largest not-for-profit health and aged care provider – has fallen victim to a cyber-attack.
A spokesperson for the provider confirmed to Guardian Australia the attack, which was first discovered on Tuesday, and an investigation remains ongoing into what data has been stolen.
We’ll have more on this shortly.
Updated
Widespread storms expected for Queensland
Storms are possible over much of Queensland today, excluding the far west of the state, the Bureau of Meteorology said.
Storms over inland central and southern districts may become severe, with a risk of damaging winds, heavy rain and large hail.
⚡⚡Thunderstorm forecast for TODAY: Storms are possible over much of #Qld apart from the far west. Over inland central and southern districts storms may become severe, with a risk of damaging winds, heavy rain, and large hail. Look for warnings at https://t.co/3y3FfQjgQB pic.twitter.com/n5u8RXLqFe
— Bureau of Meteorology, Queensland (@BOM_Qld) December 22, 2023
Updated
ABC’s Melbourne office vandalised with red paint and Israel–Palestine messages
The ABC’s Melbourne office has been vandalised with red paint splattered on windows and messages about the Israel–Palestine conflict scrawled across the building.
The national broadcaster’s Southbank office had its front window daubed with “Tell the truth about Palestine” in white paint overnight and red paint was splashed on the building’s doors.
Police have opened an investigation into the “criminal damage incident”. A Victoria police spokeswoman said:
Officers were called to reports unknown offenders had spray painted sections of the building on Southbank Boulevard about 3.50am.
An ABC spokesman confirmed no one was hurt in the incident. “There was minimal damage,” he said.
Approximately 1,200 people died and up to another 200 were taken hostage when Hamas militants attacked southern Israel on 7 October, according to the United Nations.
Israel’s subsequent military action has resulted in the deaths of about 20,000 people in Gaza, with the UN citing unconfirmed data provided by the Gaza health ministry.
It’s the second time in a week the ABC office was targeted, with portraits of Palestinian journalists killed in the conflict plastered on the building on Wednesday.
Nine’s Melbourne newspaper the Age and TV office also faced protests on Wednesday after activists blocked the entrance to its headquarters in Docklands.
Free Palestine Melbourne tweeted on Wednesday that they blocked the entrance to the Age to “protest Australian media silence on journalist deaths in Gaza”.
BREAKING Wednesday 20 December 2023
— Free Palestine Melbourne (@FPMelbourne) December 19, 2023
Activists block entrance of The Age headquarters dressed in press vests and helmets to protest the Australian media silence on journalist deaths in Gaza pic.twitter.com/gPrDToVsq9
- AAP
Updated
Albanese defends Red Sea warship decision
The prime minister, Anthony Albanese, has defended the decision not to send a warship to the Middle East despite an American request, saying the US administration respects the call.
A US request was made to send a Royal Australian Navy ship to secure international shipping lanes in the Red Sea, as Iran-backed Houthi rebels blockade the waters in support of Palestine during the conflict in the Middle East.
While Australian navy personnel will be sent to the region, the prime minister rejected criticism the government was not doing enough to help the US in its military efforts. He told Sky News this morning:
The US administration is very satisfied that our priority and the role that we play in our region in the Indo-Pacific, a fairly large region that we look after, is absolutely the priority, and we work very closely with our American friends.
We’re one of 39 countries that are involved in the operation (in the Middle East) to support maritime activity there at the base in Bahrain.
We’re providing additional support there which is appropriate.
Up to six extra Australian Defence Force officers will be deployed to Bahrain as part of the Combine Maritime Forces early next year, with five personnel already embedded in the operation.
Opposition leader Peter Dutton has been quite critical:
It takes a lot of effort with a special blend of weakness and incompetence for our Prime Minister to turn his back on our closest ally, a decision that could only be welcomed by Hamas (a listed terrorist organisation).
— Peter Dutton (@PeterDutton_MP) December 21, 2023
Doesn’t that say it all? https://t.co/oLlH09BWoy
- AAP
Updated
Some sound advice from Jane Hutcheon on how to evade tricky Christmas conversations (I have a feeling there might be more than usual this year):
I don’t feel like talking about that as it’s far from over, but did you know we bought a puppy?
Usman Khawaja says ICC charge over armband 'makes no sense'
Usman Khawaja is speaking to press at the Melbourne Cricket Ground, after the Australia batter was charged by the International Cricket Council for wearing a black armband in the first Test against Pakistan in support of people in Gaza. He also wore shoes with the words “all lives are equal” and “freedom is a human right” written on the sides at a recent training session.
Khawaja said he told the ICC the black armband was worn “for a personal bereavement” and that the charge “makes no sense”:
The shoes were a different matter – I’m happy with that – but the armband – it makes no sense.
I’ve followed all past precedents. Guys have put stickers on their bats, names on their shoes, done all sorts of things in the past without ICC approval and never been reprimanded. I respect all the rules and regulations.
I will be asking and contesting that they make it fair for everyone and they have consistency in how they officiate. That’s all I ask for, and from my point of view, that consistency hasn’t been done yet.
He said his conversations with Cricket Australia, on the other hand, have been “great” and “supportive”.
Updated
Site chosen for Tasmanian AFL team’s training base
A $70m high-performance training centre for Tasmania’s AFL team is slated to be built at parklands on Hobart’s eastern shore.
The state government on Friday announced Rosny Parklands as the site of the facility, which will include two ovals and a coaching and administrative base.
The government says the centre will be completed by 2026 for the team’s expected 2028 start in the national league.
Tasmania was in May granted the AFL’s 19th licence, contingent on the construction of a new roofed waterfront stadium at Macquarie Point in Hobart.
The high-performance centre will support AFL, AFLW, VFL and VFLW players along with youth and academy programs.
“It will represent a symbol of the club’s ambitions and values,” the sports minister, Nic Street, said.
We’re confident players and staff will embrace this location.
It is close to the city and the airport, has great amenities nearby and will make the team highly visible.
The state government has pledged $60m towards the build, with the AFL contributing $10m.
– Australian Associated Press
Updated
Total ban on gambling ads ‘the right thing to do’, Labor MPs argue
Several Labor MPs have urged the federal government to introduce a total ban on gambling ads and not to water down the recommendations of an inquiry led by their late colleague Peta Murphy.
The government has spent six months assessing the inquiry’s bipartisan recommendations – prompted by “powerful evidence” of community harm – and consulting with gambling companies, broadcasters, sporting codes and tech giants.
The south-west Sydney MP Michael Freelander told Guardian Australia that legislating a “blanket ban” on gambling advertising was “the right thing to do” and he “strongly believed” there was support for that among his colleagues.
Read the full story here:
Updated
Dangerous toys removed from shelves in Christmas blitz
Christmas wands, toys with button batteries and those with small, high-powered magnets are among items removed from store shelves in a pre-Christmas crackdown.
NSW Fair Trading says investigators visited 975 retailers and one toy supplier to check on 17,019 products to ensure dangerous toys and decorations are taken off shelves before Christmas.
It said 69 products were found to be non-compliant or illegal.
These included Christmas wands, toys with coin or button batteries and toys containing small, high-powered magnets.
There were also five toys found for sale which were subject to a permanent ban. All have been removed from the shelves.
Thirty-nine traders and one supplier were selling non-compliant products, two entities were fined, six received a warning letter and four were subject to further enforcement.
“Inspectors also attended the premises of a supplier who was found to be in possession of a large quantity of banned products and these were seized,” NSW Fair Trading said.
People selling non-compliant toys risk fines up to $500,000, while corporations face penalties of up to $10m.
– Australian Associated Press
Updated
Refugee has ankle monitor removed ahead of high court action
A refugee previously in indefinite detention has had their ankle monitor and strict curfew conditions removed ahead of a high court action.
The refugee, known as RVJB, has been issued a new visa, minus the strict conditions previously applied, by the immigration minister, Andrew Giles.
RVJB had lived in the community for a year ahead of the high court decision that ended indefinite detention, but was still covered by the government’s tough new visa rules, given his visa situation. The Asylum Seeker Resource Centre was preparing to challenge his new visa conditions in the court, on the grounds RVJB had shown rehabilitation over the past eight years, seven of which were in detention and the new measures “had a severe impact on his physical and mental health”.
RVJB has lived as a permanent resident in Australia since he was a child. While the ankle monitor and curfew have been removed, there are still 20 strict conditions attached to his visa, including stringent reporting requirements, as part of the new laws.
So far three people caught in the new visa rules passed in response to the high court decision on indefinite detention have had their ankle monitors removed. Lawyers at ASRC have vowed to continue challenging the new regime in the court.
Updated
Staff shortages balloon pay bill to $1.2bn in NSW
Overtime for NSW public sector workers has snowballed, adding millions to the state’s pay bill and increasing the risk of job-related injuries and burnout.
Widespread staff shortages in a series of key agencies has been helping to drive the rapid rise in extra hours among workers over the past three years, according to a NSW audit office report.
Between July 2020 and mid-2023, overtime expenses for staff in the bulk of the state’s public workforce blew out by 40% – compared with a rise of 16% in overall salaries and wages.
One trainee junior medical officer worked more than double their standard hours in 2022-23 for a total of 2,156 hours of overtime, the report said.
A number of other frontline workers, including correctional officers, paramedics and firefighters, did more than 1,000 hours of overtime in the 12-month period.
But the report, released on Wednesday, also highlighted high rates of overtime in other agencies, including Transport for NSW, largely due to “unplanned staff shortages”.
The reasons given for the high overtime rates for the various roles included resourcing constraints, unfilled rosters and the workload demands due to the number of government projects under way.
The combined overtime bill for 25 agencies covering the vast majority of the state’s 430,000 public sector employees was $1.2bn in 2022-23.
– Australian Associated Press
Updated
Uninsured won’t be left behind in flood clean-up
Australians priced out of insurance or underinsured will not be left behind by the federal government as the flood clean-up begins in far north Queensland.
The assistant treasurer, Stephen Jones, said the government was working though options to help people who did not have insurance or were underinsured.
He told ABC RN:
We’re working through what we can do to assist those people as well to ensure that nobody’s left behind as we make the big clean-up effort.
Households and businesses were already able to access immediate disaster relief payments and this support would remain available over the medium term.
The minister said it was important that insurance was tuned to appropriately provide assistance and cover risks in a rapidly changing climate.
What we’re experiencing in Australia is part of a global phenomenon with reinsurers and global insurers starting to factor in the impact of climate change.
And the impact of those severe weather events and the risks associated with them and insurance policies.
He said the government’s role included making sure the right disaster resilience was in place, such as building the right infrastructure, carefully locating suburbs, and appropriately designed homes.
– Australian Associated Press
Updated
Sun protection pioneer to weave $10m into new clothing
Sun protection company Solbari is getting a $10m investment to expand its local and global footprint.
For almost a decade, Melbourne-based Solbari has pioneered the production of clothing, sun hats and accessories that protect the skin from the harsh Australian sun. The founder and CEO, Johanna Young, quit her job in finance to develop sun-protective garments when her husband had a skin cancer scare.
Ghazaleh Lyari, the co-head of investments at Australian Business Growth Fund, said investing in Solbari was particularly compelling because it was serving customers with health concerns.
The products are not considered as discretionary spending but rather essential items.
– Australian Associated Press
Updated
Is Gina Rinehart’s renewables claim right?
Wind and solar farms are popping up in renewable energy zones and designated development areas around Australia. Within those zones, it can feel as though new projects are everywhere: on your property or your neighbour’s, on the hills into town.
Fuelling this narrative is Australia’s richest person, Gina Rinehart, who said that one-third of Australia’s “prime agricultural land” could be “taken over” by renewable energy projects, particularly solar.
That figure comes from a report released this month by the Institute of Public Affairs. The report by the rightwing thinktank, which has consistently advocated against emissions reductions policies and called for Australia to pull out of the Paris agreement, claims that one-third of Australia’s agricultural land would “have to be sacrificed” to renewable energy developments to meet Australia’s energy needs with a 50:50 mix of wind and solar by 2050.
According to the Australia Institute, the Clean Energy Council and projections by the Australian Energy Market Operator, both the IPA’s prediction on the size of the area required and the demand assumptions it is based on are incorrect.
“I can’t overstate how ridiculous the extrapolations in this report are,” says the Australia Insitute principal adviser, Mark Ogge.
Read the full analysis here:
Updated
Additional assistance money for flood-hit communities: Albanese
The prime minister, Anthony Albanese, has outlined the support packages for far north Queensland:
There is an initial package: $25m for primary producers and $25m for small business.
Each of the local government areas will receive additional – on top of the other grants that will be there a $1m top-up payment because of the additional costs that they are having and in addition to that, a tourism recovery $5m for advertising and to get out there and get the message around to Australia but also overseas if needs be.
Updated
Albanese flags further support package for flooded far north Queensland
The prime Minister, Anthony Albanese, is addressing ABC News Breakfast from Cairns.
He is flagging that the government will announce a “further” support package “on top of what we’re providing for individuals” after the region was devastated by rain and floods:
A package of support for primary producers, one for small businesses and not-for-profit organisations, support for each of the nine local government areas and, in addition to that, tourism recovery packages.
While in Cairns, the prime minister will meet with emergency service workers and volunteers, as well as communities in affected areas such as Holloways Beach and representatives from local government and the tourism sector.
Updated
Andrew Hastie criticises decision to reject US appeal for warships in Red Sea
Australia’s shadow defence minister, Andrew Hastie, has criticised the government’s decision to reject a US appeal for warships in the Red Sea yesterday. He told Sky News that “we absolutely have an interest in keeping the sea lanes in the Red Sea open”.
Matt Thistlethwaite, the assistant minister for defence and veterans affairs, responded on ABC RN this morning. He said there have been “numerous requests” from the US.
[The US] has made requests regarding naval operations, the US has made requests regarding staff. We’ve made a decision that the most appropriate response for Australia is to send additional personnel.
So we’ll send six personnel to Operation Prosperity Guardian and we’ll double the number of personnel to Operation Manitou in Bahrain.
Updated
WA firefighters brace for another day of intense blazes
Firefighters battling multiple blazes that have destroyed homes in Western Australia face another day of tough conditions.
Five emergency-level fires have torn through bushland, rural properties and the suburb of Parkerville in Perth’s hilly east in the past two days.
Crews have faced “intense fire behaviour” driven by strong and gusty easterly winds and low humidity.
No emergency warnings were in place in WA early on Friday following threat downgrades but the fire and emergency services commissioner, Darren Klemm, said the situation was unlikely to improve for days.
Klemm spoke to reporters from the Parkerville fire ground late on Thursday:
We haven’t got a great forecast, particularly the next three or four days.
Certainly from here through to Boxing Day we’re going to have some really challenging conditions across ... the southern half of the state.
The Parkerville blaze, which started accidentally on Thursday when a tree fell on to powerlines, has destroyed two homes but authorities warn there could be more.
The alert warning for the area was at watch and act level early this morning but residents were warned there was still a possible threat to lives and homes as conditions may change.
– Australia Associated Press
Updated
NSW windfarm approved
A windfarm will be developed in south-west New South Wales – the first windfarm approved in the state in two-and-a-half years.
The 1,500MW Yanco Delta windfarm will operate in the state’s South West Renewable Energy Zone. It will be developed by Virya Energy on a 33,000-hectare site in the Murrumbidgee and Edward River local government areas.
It will power up to 700,000 homes a year, the NSW government said on Friday, and will involve the construction of 208 wind turbines with a maximum tip height of 270 metres, an 800MW battery energy storage facility and grid connection infrastructure.
The state minister for climate change and energy, Penny Sharpe, said:
It means more clean energy, more jobs and local investment and we’re another step closer to achieving our net zero targets.
Over the next decade, three of the four remaining coal-fired generators in NSW are scheduled to retire, removing around 7,400MW of dispatchable electricity generation from the system.
Renewable energy developments like this one in the South West Renewable Energy Zone are critical to our energy future, so we can ensure there is enough renewable energy to replace ageing coal-fired power stations.
Updated
Lehrmann’s lawyers to give closing arguments
Bruce Lehrmann’s lawyers are expected to give their closing arguments in the defamation trial today. Guardian Australia will have a separate live blog to cover all the developments from 10am.
Defence lawyers used their closing arguments on Thursday to describe the former Liberal staffer as a “fundamentally dishonest man”, suggesting repeated mistruths about the events of March 2019 suggest he might be a “compulsive liar”.
Lisa Wilkinson’s lawyer also told the court there “can’t be any doubt in anyone’s mind that there was sex” on the night Brittany Higgins was allegedly raped.
“The only issue that would trouble your honour, having regard to the unsatisfactory state of the evidence by both persons, is the consent issue,” Wilkinson’s barrister, Sue Chrysanthou SC, said on Thursday.
Lehrmann is suing both Channel Ten and Wilkinson over a 2021 interview with Higgins broadcast on The Project that he says defamed him by accusing him of raping Higgins in the office of their then boss, the former defence industry minister Linda Reynolds.
Lehrmann has repeatedly denied the allegation and says no sex whatsoever took place.
Updated
Welcome
Welcome to Friday – the last working day before Christmas. I’m Rafqa Touma taking you through the morning’s news.
The prime minister, Anthony Albanese, and the Queensland premier, Steven Miles, will visit flood-ravaged areas of Queensland today.
Meanwhile, firefighters battling multiple blazes that have destroyed homes in Western Australia face another day of tough conditions.
Five emergency-level fires have torn through bushland, rural properties and the suburb of Parkerville in Perth’s hilly east over the past two days.
Crews have faced “intense fire behaviour” driven by strong and gusty easterly winds and low humidity.
The fire and emergency services commissioner, Darren Klemm, said the situation was unlikely to improve today.
“We haven’t got a great forecast, particularly the next three or four days,” he told reporters from the Parkerville fire ground late on Thursday.
“Certainly from here through to Boxing Day we’re going to have some really challenging conditions across ... the southern half of the state.”
I’m Rafqa Touma and I will be rolling our live blog coverage through the day. If you see anything you don’t want us to miss, shoot it my way on X here: @At_Raf_
Updated
